Rated



G. A. LYON COVER FOR SPARE AUTOMOBILE TIRES Oct. 11, 1932.

Original Filed Dec. 14, 1928 INVENTOR GEO/r65 ALBERT AYo/v AT! NEYSReiuued Oct. 11, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE;

GEORGE ALBERT LYON, F ALLEE'HURST, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNORTO LYON, INCORPO-RATED, 0]? ASBURY PARK, NEW JERSEY, A. CORPORATION OF DELAWARE COVER FORSPARE AUTOMOBILE Trans Original No. 1,846,266, dated February 23, 1932,Serial No. 325,993, filed December 14, 1928. Application for reissuefiled August 16,1932. Serial No. 629,085.

This invention relates to covers for spare tires carried uponautomobiles.

The usual spare tire cover consists of a canvas casing coated withwaterproofing ma- 'terial and formed to'fit the contour of the tire.

These tire covers are unattractive in oppearance and are difiicult toapply to a tire, particularly after the material has shrunk because ofits exposure to the weather. These '10 covers often cannot be applied toa tire so that they will fit the tire smoothly, and the wrinkles inthematerial, especially on the outer exposed side of the tire, give thecover a very unattractive appearance. Such covers also do not constitutea satisfactory protection for the outer surface of the tire againstdamage in case'of collision.

The principal objects of the present invention are to improve theconstruction and 2% mode of operation of spare tire covers and toproduce a cover which will 1present a highly attractive appearance, whicwill furnish a satisfactory rotection for the tire and which may be ready applied to andremoved from $5 the tire.

With these and other objects in view, the invention comprises the noveland improved features, constructions and combinations of partshereinafter described and particularly 80 pointed out in the claims, theadvantages ofwhich will bereadily understood and appreciated by thoseskilled in the art. The invention will be clearly from the accompanyingdrawin illustrating the invention in its preferre form and the followingdetailed description of the constructions therein shown.

In the drawing- Fig.1 is a view in front elevation of a spare tire witha tire cover embodyingv the invention applied thereto;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 2-2 of Fig.1;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view in elevation of a tire and tire cover takenfrom the rear an enlarged scale; and

understood Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4 illustrating a modifiedform of the invention.

The tire cover embodying the invention is,

'shown in the drawing of this application as applied to a tire 2 mountedon a .rim 4.

The tire cover preferably consists of a continuous ring of sheetmaterial arranged to cover the outer side of the tire and the peripherythereof.

In the form of the-invention shown in Figs. I

1 to 4 inclusive, the tire cover comprises a continuous ring section 8arranged to cover the outer side of the tire and a continuous ringsection 10 extending about the peripheral portion of the tire. Thesection 8 of the cover is preferably made of relatively stiff material.such as sheet metal and as shown in these figures is made in the form ofa ring arranged to extend from the periphery of the tire to or adjacentto the inner margin of the tire. This section of the'cover may, however,be made in the form of a plate extending from the periphery of the tireto the axis thereof. The inner margin of the section 8 is provided withabend or curl indicated at 9 to provide this margin with a finishedrounded edge and the outer margin or part the folds of the section 8,the metal of section 8 being pressed tightly against the section 10 tohold the same securely. The metal of the section 8 is turned inwardly toform --this folded portion so that the section 8 is located on theoutside of the section 10 at the joint between said sections. Thus.there is no joint or break in the outer side of the cover from the innermargin to the periphery thereof, the section 8 presenting a smoothsurface between these points.

The section 10 extends from the margin of the section 8 laterally overthe periphery of the tire and its widthis preferably such that its innermarginal portion indicated at 12%- less than the'circumference of thetire. The

cord may, if desired, however, be made of relatively inelastic materialsuch as fiber or other ordinary cord material. In this event, the cordis*provided with end portions extending through an opening in the loopedportion 14 of the cover which may be grasped by the operator to drawtheinner marginal portion of-the section 10 inwardly over the inner face"of the tire.

In applying the tire cover above described to a tire, the inner margin12 of the section 10 is expanded so that it will pass over the tire andthe tire cover is then drawn over the tire with the section 10surrounding the periphery thereof until the movement of the cover islimited by the engagement of the section 8, or the outer margin of thesection 10 at the joint between the two sections, with the tire. Thesection 10 is preferably so constructed that it will fit the peripheralpor- 'tion of the tire without wrinkling. When a cord 16 of elasticmaterial is inserted in the looped portion 14 of the section 10, afterthe cover is drawn over the tire the inner margin is released and thecord then acts to contract the same,'drawing said margin down over theinner face of the tire, as shown in Fig. 4.

When an ordinary cord is employed the end portions of the cord are drawntogether to contract the inner margin of the section 10 and the ends ofthe cord are then tied securely together.

The relatively stifi' section 8 of the tire cover covering the outerface of the tire gives a highly attractive appearance to the coverwhen-the cover is applied to a tire and forms an efficient protection toprevent damage to the tlre in case of collision. The section 10 of thetire cover protects the peripheral portion of the tire and the drawingof the inner margin of this section down over-the inner face of the tireholds the tire cover securely in place on the tire.

In the construction shown in Fig. 5 the tire covercomprises a section 18arranged to cover the outer face of the tire and a section 20 extendingabout the peripheral portion of the tire. The section 18 in this form ofthe invention also is made of relatively still material such as sheetmetal and extends from the axis of the tire to the periphery thereof, asshown clearly in Fig. 5. The section 20 of the tire cover in this formof the invention consists of a section ofhighly flexible and cover isprovided with folds within which the outer lateral margin of the section20 is gripped to secure the two sections together, as in theconstruction shown in Figs. 2 and 4. The section 20 of the. coverpreferably is made somewhat smaller than the periphery of the tire, sothat a certain amount of stretching of this section is required inapplying the tire cover to a tire. The inner lateral margin of thesection 20 also is providedwith an enlargement or bead 22 at the edge ofthis section which reinforces the section and increases the contractingforce exerted by the section when the section is stretched outwardly. Inapplying the construction shown in F ig'. 5, to a tire, the section 20is expanded and drawn over the tire until the movement of its rubber.This manner of. applying the'tire cover will locate the section 18 insubstantially the position shown in Fig. 5. Upon the release of thesection 20 the elasticity of the rubber will draw the inner margin ofsaid sectiorrdown over the inner face of the tire, as clearly shown inFigure 5. This will hold both sections of the cover securely in place onthe tire.

With either of the constructions shown in the drawing the relativelystifi' section of the cover covering the lateral face of the tirepresents a very attractive appearance and efiiciently protects the tirea ainst damage in case of collision. The section of the flexiblematerial surrounding the periphery of the tire and extending down overthe inner face of the tire will securely hold the cover in position.This flexible section forms an etficient protection for the peripheralportion of the tire. These tire covers also have the advantage that theymay be very readily applied to and removed from the tire. The outerrelativel stiff section 8 holds the flexible section 10 in'position tofacilitate applying the cover to the tire and also prevents the flexiblesection from collapsing and becoming cracked when the cover is removedfrom the tire.

' It is to be understood that the invention is not limited to theparticular construction and arrangement of parts of the illustratedembodiment of the invention, but that the invention may. be embodied inother forms within the scope of the claims.

Having explained the nature and object of the invention and havingspecifically described a construction embodying the invention in itspreferred form, what is claimed is: 1. A spare tire cover designed to beflexed into tire protecting position including a metallic side plate forprotecting and abutting entially extendin against the side of the tireand arcuate runlike means of flexible material associated with said sideplate so as to prevent collapsing of said rim-like means and formed tobe stretched over the outer periphery of the tire to cover the same,said means being so shaped and proportioned that when in tire protectingposition a portion of said meanswill be spaced inwardly from the outerperiphery of the tire such a distance as to hold the cover in'positionand yet permit of the moving of the tire cover into said position; saidside plate having a circumferentially extending inwardly curved convexportion adjacent the tread.

2. A'spare tire cover designed to be manually moved into the protectingposition including a metallic side platevfor disposition over a side ofthe tire and arcuate-like rim means of flexible material associatedtherewith tocover the outer periphery of the tire and-includingamanually collapsible portion so shaped and proportioned that when intire protecting position an edge thereof will be spaced inwardly fromthe outer periphery of the tire such a distance ast'o hold the cover inposition and yet permit of the flexing of said portion over the rearedge of the tread, said side plate having an inwardly curvedcircumferentially extending convex portion adjacent the tread.

3. A spare tire-cover designed to be manually moved into tire protectingposition in cluding a metallic annular side portion for disposition overan outer side wall of the tire and arcuate-like rim means associatedtherewith to cover the outer periphery of the tire and including amanually collapsible portion of flexible material cooperable with saidside portion to draw it against said outer side wall of the tire and soshaped and proportioned that when in tire protecting position an edgethereof will be spaced inwardly from the outer periphery of the tiresuch a distance as to hold the cover in position and yet permit of theflexing of said collapsible portion over the rear edge of the tiretread.

i. A spare tire cover designed to be manually moved into tire protectingposition inchiding a stiff annular side portion for dis position overan-out er side wall of the tire and arcuate-like rim means associatedtherewith to cover the outer periphery of the tire and including amanually collapsible portion of flexible material cooperable with saidside portion to draw it against said outer side wall of the tire and soshaped and proportioned that when in tire protecting position an edgethereof will be spaced inwardly from the outer periphery of the tiresuch a distance as to hold the cover in position and yet permit of theflexing of said collapsible portion over the rear edge of the tiretread, said side portion having an inwardly curved circumferpartadjacent the tread. In testimony w ereof, I have hereunto subscribed myname at Washington, D. C.

GEORGE ALBERT LYON;

